Proposal Preparation Specialist II

Rice University•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Wiess School of Natural Sciences seeks a Proposal Preparation Specialist to provide advanced support to departments and facilitate grant proposal development and related activity tracking. The specialist leads and advises faculty and research personnel in planning, preparing, and writing proposals for competitive extramural funding opportunities, including those offered by federal and state agencies, industry sponsors, and foundations. The position reports directly to the Associate Director of Pre-Award Research Administration in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and supports effective communication and collaboration. The role includes evaluating funding announcements, organizing proposal development, developing budgets, coordinating large multidisciplinary faculty teams, reviewing proposal materials for sponsor and university compliance, and supporting proposal submissions and funded-project activity. The position also contributes to training, process improvement, standard operating procedures, and electronic proposal record maintenance. The position may be hybrid or fully remote; fully remote eligibility is limited to residents of approved states. Work arrangements may change under Rice policy. Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume in PDF format. The position is open only to individuals authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship. The annual hiring range is $78,000 to $85,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. This is an exempt salaried position and is not eligible for overtime.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, or additional related experience above the required experience substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
At least 3 years of experience in Pre-Award Research Administration, including grant proposal preparation and submission to governmental agencies.
Initiative and ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Excellent administrative and organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize workload effectively.
Strong critical-thinking skills.
Excellent writing and editing skills.
Ability to work effectively under deadline pressure.
Must be authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship, now or in the future.
Applicants must attach a cover letter and resume in PDF format.

Nice To Haves

At least 5 years of experience in Pre-Award Research Administration in a university setting.
Demonstrated experience with large-scale, complex federal funding proposals, such as DARPA, ARPA-H, or similar agencies.
Certified Research Administrator (CRA).
Strong independent and analytical thinking skills for a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Thorough understanding of relevant federal and state statutes, regulations, policies, and procedures, and ability to interpret sponsor requirements.

Responsibilities

Evaluate Funding Opportunity Announcements and develop proposal preparation timelines, templates, checklists, and tracking systems.
Explain proposal requirements and review processes for funding agencies.
Develop and analyze proposal budgets in accordance with sponsor guidelines and university research policies.
Organize and facilitate faculty teams preparing large-scale, complex, multidisciplinary proposals, including collaborations across the university and with other research organizations.
Research and assist in writing non-technical proposal content.
Review scientific, technical, and scholarly proposal narratives for compliance with sponsor requirements and university research policies.
Serve as a liaison among faculty, administrators, and the Office of Sponsored Projects to support timely and successful submissions.
Prepare professional written communications for sponsors, organizations, and key stakeholders.
Collaborate with agencies, faculty, and departmental award management staff to support the lifecycle of funded projects.
Lead training and development sessions on external grant proposal development for faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students.
Assist with proposal process improvement projects, including developing standard operating procedures and maintaining electronic proposal records.
Prepare and update proposal documents, including revised budgets and Just-in-Time documentation, as needed before award execution.
Inform the Principal Investigator of proposal preparation requirements and ensure compliance with formatting, documentation, and submission requirements.
Monitor compliance with agency and university proposal regulations and verify financial information before submission.
Perform other duties as assigned.